Yume Sushi Features Japanese Delicacies at Tasting Counter
Traditional Omakase Transports Arlington Diners to Japan
At Yume Sushi in Arlington, Chef Saran (Peter) Kannasute takes diners on an intimate dining experience through Japan. Curating the freshest Japanese ingredients directly from the source, Japanese delicacies are shipped overnight and prepared daily for the evening’s Omakase tasting. Omakase or “ I shall leave it up to you” is a traditional Japanese dining experience where the chef prepares seven dishes based on the days’ best offerings. No need to pour over a menu trying to decide what to order, Chef Kannasute will place seven perfect plates in front of you while you sip on local Japanese beers, or sake on draft.
Watching chef Peter work is mesmerizing, as he takes such care to preserve the ingredients in their natural beauty. Each ingredient is added only to enhance the flavor of the overall dish and everything, EVERYTHING is made in house. From salad dressings to juices for cocktails, they make it all at Yume. What’s even more surprising is that there is essentially no kitchen. All heated elements are prepared in an air fryer or with a torch - to order. The Yume team is truly passionate about sharing the art and beauty of a traditional omakase-style tasting with diners, and I urge you to try this truly authentic gem tucked away just across the bridge in Arlington, VA.
Let’s take a look at a few of my favorite dishes during my tasting.
French Duck is seared to order and topped with foie gras. It’s served with black pepper sauce, butter garlic miso and a side of house-made pickled cucumber. An umami explosion, this dish is super savory and luscious with a breath of freshness from the pickle and shaved scallion. Exquisitely prepared and one of my favorite bites from the day.
The number reason to check out Yume is for the Smoked Salmon Tataki. Salmon is cold smoked with lavender for 48 hours and topped sparingly with roe. You can taste the smoke from the inside out as soon as you bite into this addicting floral fraud. A rose by any other name would surely not taste as sweet.
A rare treat of Toro Tataki graced our palates next. Fatty tuna toro is lightly brushed with Japanese shoyu soy sauce and sprinkled with red lava sea salt from Hawaii. These succulent slabs are drizzled with truffle oil just before devouring. More please!
An exciting creation of Live Scallop might be on the menu when you visit. With a very limited quantity each evening, these delicacies are served with house made chili plum sauce and black bamboo sea salt. A texture like nothing I’ve ever tasted, it is a sensory overload worth diving into.
The inventive Monk Fish Pate shows just how skilled Chef Kannasute is. He combines house made pate with sea urchin from Hokkaido, salmon roe, yuzu “snow,” and quail egg sauce. This dish takes you deep into the ocean with lots of fresh briny flavors, textures and temperatures.
An exciting first for me was experiencing the Mantis Shrimp dish. Delicately removed from its shell, the shrimp is served with shisho ponzu sauce, wasabi truffle oil and Japanese plum sauce. So simple, the dish focuses on the sweetness of this rare shrimp with the option to add sweetness or spice from the complex Yume sauces. I’d like to take a bottle of each sauce home with me.
For dessert, a phyllo Bird Nest with black sesame ice cream and honey satisfies the sweet tooth. Creamy, crunchy, and oh so “yume!”
Two two-hour offerings of Omakase-style dining are available each night for eight diners per seating – one at 6:00pm and one at 8:00pm Sunday – Thursday, and 7:00pm and 9:00pm seatings on Friday and Saturday. Reservations are required 24 hours in advance, and can be made by calling the restaurant.
The Omakase experience at Yume Sushi is unlike any other I’ve had in the district. I highly recommend taking a journey to Japan right here in Arlington before it’s impossible to get on the list!
★★★